Lisbon Highlights Tour

[itsanita]

Has anyone done the Lisbon Highlights Tour with Shore Excursions?   It is 7 hours long and I am wondering how often you get out of the van?   It includes Lisbon Cathedral, the Belem Tower etc, but does not say if its a drive by or we can go in.   I sent an email to them, but received the same info that is on its website.  

 

Thanks, 

[edinburgher]

21 hours ago, itsanita said:

 It includes Lisbon Cathedral, the Belem Tower etc, but does not say if its a drive by or we can go in.

With all tour descriptions you need to read very carefully between the lines.  Unless a particular sight has a description of actually entering, you can assume it is an outdoor stop, perhaps for only a few minutes. Another giveawayt is, it should be stated if the tour price includes entrance fees or if these are a payable extra.  If no mention of either, you won't be going into any payable sight.

 

Looking at the sights you have mentioned, these could be explored relatively easily by yourself.  It won't be as easy as being seated and driven from door to door, a little effort would be needed but you could enter whichever sights are of interest to you personally and spend as long as yopu choose in each.

 

And are you aware that Shore Excursions group is not the tour operator, only a middleman like "V", which means any queries you might have will always need to be routed through Shore Ex Group, rather than being communicated directly to the company actually running your tour.And the Tcs and Cs will also be the Tcs and Cs of Shorex Group, not the company running your tour.

 

There are many many previous threads discussing the merits or otherwise of booking tours through middlemen rather than directly with the actual tour operator.

[Thejuggler]

It is not so easy to visit a lot of Lisbon sights DIY without access to personal transport or using taxis.  Its a very spread out city and walking isn't an option due to the hills and distances.  Its why we have visited the city a few times as doing it all in a day simply isn't possible,

 

As an example the Cathedral to Belem tower takes 1.5- 2 hours to walk and public transport to that area isn't brilliant, taking 45-60 minutes and then you need to get back!

 

So whether you go in to sights will depend how many sights you are visiting.

[itsanita]

23 hours ago, edinburgher said:

With all tour descriptions you need to read very carefully between the lines.  Unless a particular sight has a description of actually entering, you can assume it is an outdoor stop, perhaps for only a few minutes. Another giveawayt is, it should be stated if the tour price includes entrance fees or if these are a payable extra.  If no mention of either, you won't be going into any payable sight.

 

 

 

And are you aware that Shore Excursions group is not the tour operator, only a middleman like "V", which means any queries you might have will always need to be routed through Shore Ex Group, rather than being communicated directly to the company actually running your tour.And the Tcs and Cs will also be the Tcs and Cs of Shorex Group, not the company running your tour.

 

There are many many previous threads discussing the merits or otherwise of booking tours through middlemen rather than directly with the actual tour operator.

How would you find the actual tour operator?  I assume its the same with Spain Day Tours, another popular tour company on these boards.  

[edinburgher]

5 hours ago, Thejuggler said:

It is not so easy to visit a lot of Lisbon sights DIY without access to personal transport or using taxis.  Its a very spread out city and walking isn't an option due to the hills and distances.  Its why we have visited the city a few times as doing it all in a day simply isn't possible,

 

As an example the Cathedral to Belem tower takes 1.5- 2 hours to walk and public transport to that area isn't brilliant, taking 45-60 minutes and then you need to get back!

 

Tthejuggler I am of the opinion that you made it difficult for yourselves to move around Lisbon by not using public transport or taxis , and without either, yes, you are indeed giving yourselves very long and sometimes very steep walks but that must have been your preferred choice or you would not have done that. Public transport aside, as you didn't mention them either, did you even use any of the free elevators instead of walking up hills?

 

Itsanita Please don't even think about walking when there is no need to especially on a hot weather day.  Tram #12 goes to Lisbon Cathedral from Praca Martim Moniz which is very close to Praca da Figueira ( think 5 mins max walk between them and both  in the central Baixa district), and from the cathedral, you could either take the same # tram downhill or walk  down to the Baixa district.and from Praca da Figueira, incidentally a major transport hub, or from Praca do Comercio, frequent   trams and buses run all the way to Belem and back again. Super easy with a little homework. Praco do Comercio on the waterfront will be fairly close to your docking location somewhere along that waterfront.  Figueira and M M a10/ 15 minute walk from there, on flat ground.

 

For your information,your first stop should be the really excellent official Lisbon City sightseeing website, www. visitlisboa.com. The more you look into it, the more you will find.

 

Looking at your preference for a few  of the many sights of Belem (where you could easily spend an entire day, more if you include museums), you could leave the ship, walk the short level ground distance to  Praça do Comércio, take the modern #15 tram to Belem, spend time there, return on the same #tram but this time to the stop at Praca da Figueira, actually the terminus, walk max 5 minutes on flat ground to Praca Martim Munez and take the vintage tram #12 up to the cathedral amnd either tram or walk back downhill.  No effort required.

Edited October 15 by edinburgher

[edinburgher]

On 10/13/2024 at 5:06 PM, itsanita said:

It includes Lisbon Cathedral, the Belem Tower etc

I forgot to mention that there may be an even easier way to reach the Cathedral/Se.  I recently read that a new elevator(free like all the others) has  very recently opened and which connects from close to the waterfront to the cathedral/Se entrance.  I only know it exists, is new, and had the word "Campo" as part of its name,   but otherwise you will need to search for it online.  Should it be waterfront, you could easily go to Praco do Comercio, take the tram to and from Belem, then go to the new elevator to get to and from the cathedral/Se and back to your ship.  I really do not know if it would be a bonus or not at all convenient, but your research on its location should help.

Edited October 15 by edinburgher

[itsanita]

Thanks for your suggestions.  We leave the cruise ship in Lisbon and have reserved Hotel da Baixa for a additionsl 3 nights.  We choose that location, as it seems to be in a pedistrian  aread and central to everything.   I am now trying to figure out how to best use my 3 full days there.  I will definitaly look into the public transportation and perhaps a private half day Tuk Tuk tour.  Also looking at a trip to Sintra and perhaps a trip to Fatima.   So MUCH to see!

[edinburgher]

1 hour ago, itsanita said:

I assume its the same with Spain Day Tours, another popular tour company on these boards. 

As far as I am aware, Spain Day Tours is an actual tour operator and not a broker/middleman, but others will correct this if it is incorrect.

Edited October 15 by edinburgher

[edinburgher]

8 minutes ago, itsanita said:

Also looking at a trip to Sintra

Sintra super easy to DIY and super popular as only 30 minutes by train from Lisbon.  You could pull up past threads for Lisbon, Sintra and Fatima by using the quick and easy SEARCH TOOL as they will contain useful info and suggestions..

[Thejuggler]

We didn't walk between major sights.
 

I was pointing out to the OP just how far sights are apart from each other and the fact public transport isn't as well provided for as some other major cities, so without personal transport DIY is time consuming.  

[edinburgher]

22 hours ago, Thejuggler said:

the fact public transport isn't as well provided for as some other major cities, so without personal transport DIY is time consuming.  

There are public buses, modern tram routes, vintage tram routes, the metro system with several lines, trains and even commuter ferries to get you from A to B or to simply enjoy river views.  In  addition there are the free elevators/elevadors and even the free escalator at Martim Muniz (although it doesn't go all the way to st George's Castle and to avoid a very steep climb once off the escalator, we would recommend taking the bus instead as it goes almost to the castle entrance) and we do not consider that selection "not as well provided for as some other major cities".and it certainly offered us everything we needed to move around both inside and outside of the city on our many visits and we never had an issue despite using public transport every time. Choosing from the many options on offer meant we only walked on flat/level ground in Lisbon.

 

And of course it stands to reason that using public transport can take longer than driving directly, although some might argue that at busy commuter times, public transport can be just as fast, or sometimes faster due to dedicated tram lines or bus lanes which can whisk past lines of waiting cars.

Edited October 16 by edinburgher

[edinburgher]

On 10/15/2024 at 3:35 PM, itsanita said:

We leave the cruise ship in Lisbon and have reserved Hotel da Baixa for a additionsl 3 nights.  We choose that location, as it seems to be in a pedistrian  aread and central to everything.

It is indeed an excellent location, with everything you could possibly need within a couple of minutes walk.  There have been a small number of member recommendations for that hotel.  If you chose it because of them, you won't be interested in the past threads, but if you chose by some other method, past threads naming that hotel can be found here

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.co.uk/search/?q="hotel da baixa"&quick=1&updated_after=any&sortby=relevancy

 

 Rua da Prata is not a pedestrian street, instead having regular traffic including trams running along it in one direction .  We know as we stayed almost next door to your hotel.   Having said that, it is around a one minute walk from Rua Augusta which IS pedestrianised and an interesting streeet to explore.Cut through to it via  the short Rua de Santa Justa, which if I remember correctly is also pedestrian only.  Once on Rua Augusta, you should be able to see Fabrica da Nata almost opposite, a well known nata bakery where you can watch the natas being made through the window, and see them running around on a raised track.  they also serve  hot and cold snacks for breakfast, lunch and anytime. Can highly recommend the toasted ham and cheese sandwiches (very tasty) should you want a snack, but Rua da Prata is also  quite close to a small number of  Pingo supermarkets varying in size but ideal for buying snacks and drinks for your room.the largest of these with a good selection of port wines, deli take out etc can be found on rua da madelena and to get to it, you would take the Elevador Castelo from part way along Rua da Prata(towards the sea on the left side)  and when you exit at the top, turn left, walk a few yards and you will see the supermarket set back a little across the street on your right side.

 

But your location is really excellent for public transport options.  Praca da Figueira, Martim Moniz, Rossio Square all offer trams, buses or metro stations and Rossio train station is very close to Rossio Square.  In the opposite direction, Praco do Comercio.  You can usually find the overpriced tuk tuks in Praca da Figueira if you must. It is also where you will find one of the oldest bakeries in Lisbon, almost 200 years old, with a  pretty historic facade.

 

And if you want to get up to the São Pedro de Alcântara viewpoint (a personal favourite) you could  take the series of free escalators from inside the Baixa- Chiado metro station which will whisk you up to the Chiado district in a few minutes,then walk the last steep  10 minutes to the mirador although you could catch your breath by visiting inside the Church of Sa Roque which you would pass.

 

And all around you will find many many restaurants, cafes, bars etc.

 

Enjoy.  Do the homework and I don't think you will be disappointed with the public transport options., save money from not using taxis to everywhere and save your legs at the same time.😁

 

Edited October 16 by edinburgher

[edinburgher]

On 10/15/2024 at 3:35 PM, itsanita said:

We choose that location, as it seems to be in a pedistrian  aread and central to everything.

Apologising for what I suspect was "too much inforation",  in the above post,more than you probably wanted.

[itsanita]

Never too much info!!   Thanks for taking the time to share.

[edinburgher]

2 hours ago, itsanita said:

Never too much info!!   Thanks for taking the time to share.

It is worth spending some time getting to grips with public transport and the free public elevators and escalators as the commercial (paying ) ones often have very long lines you need to wait in.  We never had a problem with public transport because we would look to see which option would work best for us depending on our plans, and we used some of the hacks we picked up to minimize travel time and effort, the latter essential for such a hilly city. And the area your hotel is in is perfect for evening strolling as it is all flat ground, there is a multitude of bars, cafes and restaurants, and the seafront is no more than a 10 minute walk.There are also pretty sunset views from the miradors,Sao Pedro de Alcantara being a personal favourite, but there are several which you can find by searching "miradors/viewpoints in Lisbon" or similar.

Edited October 17 by edinburgher

[onyx007]

@itsantina

 

As I found out, there is also a HopOnHopOf-Bus (with several different lines) operating in Lisbon run by Gray Tours as far as I know. 

 

In November it will be my third trip to Lisbon, the first time I had just one day on a cruise, were we were shown around by a local, the second time land based I used public transport and went as far as to the other side of the Bay to the big Jesus, so public transport is fine; Both visits were years ago. I stay two nights and one day I will go to see Fatima and some other sights with a tour and the other day (arrival by cruise) I have for Lisbon as well; but I planed so far only to see the sights around Torre Belem, but I might get some ideas when arriving. 

[edinburgher]

12 minutes ago, onyx007 said:

I used public transport and went as far as to the other side of the Bay to the big Jesus, so public transport is fine;

Public transport is definitely fine, in this instance the public ferry followed by a public bus.

[VA2002]

On 10/14/2024 at 9:47 AM, edinburgher said:

With all tour descriptions you need to read very carefully between the lines.  Unless a particular sight has a description of actually entering, you can assume it is an outdoor stop, perhaps for only a few minutes. Another giveawayt is, it should be stated if the tour price includes entrance fees or if these are a payable extra.  If no mention of either, you won't be going into any payable sight.

 

Looking at the sights you have mentioned, these could be explored relatively easily by yourself.  It won't be as easy as being seated and driven from door to door, a little effort would be needed but you could enter whichever sights are of interest to you personally and spend as long as yopu choose in each.

 

And are you aware that Shore Excursions group is not the tour operator, only a middleman like "V", which means any queries you might have will always need to be routed through Shore Ex Group, rather than being communicated directly to the company actually running your tour.And the Tcs and Cs will also be the Tcs and Cs of Shorex Group, not the company running your tour.

 

There are many many previous threads discussing the merits or otherwise of booking tours through middlemen rather than directly with the actual tour operator.

To book tours directly without having the middleman company, I usually look at mostly Tripadvisor tours & sometimes V.   See a variety of choices, pick a tour that interests you and then look at the information.  The company who provides is usually on the information page.   Then I check out the specific company meaning I look at reviews and at the company's website.   If I like it, I book directly with the company.   It has worked well for my husband & I so far.  

[2BACRUISER]

On 10/15/2024 at 3:42 PM, edinburgher said:

As far as I am aware, Spain Day Tours is an actual tour operator and not a broker/middleman, but others will correct this if it is incorrect.

Spain Tours is actually a Canadian company and when you get your invoice it isnt Spain Tours but 'Top Day Tours' thro a payment company Fareharbor in Canada also be aware although they price in euros they like to convert it to dollars when you pay at a crap rate so make sure you insist they charge you in euros and let your card company sort the exchange rate for you. 

We are using them in November in Motril so will report back. 

[edinburgher]

5 hours ago, 2BACRUISER said:

Spain Tours is actually a Canadian company and when you get your invoice it isnt Spain Tours but 'Top Day Tours' thro a payment company Fareharbor in Canada also be aware although they price in euros they like to convert it to dollars when you pay at a crap rate so make sure you insist they charge you in euros and let your card company sort the exchange rate for you. 

We are using them in November in Motril so will report back. 

That must have been a bit of an unwelcome surprise. There are several long threads about this company, mostly positive, but I don't recall seeing a mention of this.

[2BACRUISER]

4 hours ago, edinburgher said:

That must have been a bit of an unwelcome surprise. There are several long threads about this company, mostly positive, but I don't recall seeing a mention of this.

It's buried in the small print on nearly the last of several pages about yr trip but as you say they have good reviews so I'm happy to give them a try based on those. I think they consider most independent excursion customers to be from the US hence the "helpful" conversion to dollars. 👍😊